Tobacco cutting machines



May 28, 1963 R. c. RADCLIFFE 3,091,071

TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINES Filed Dec- 13, 1960 2 ShetS-Sheei 1 INVENTOR.

' 1706527 C FHDCL/Ffl! May 28, 1963 R. c. RADCLIFFE 3,091,071

TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 13, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE'NTOR.

ATTORNEY 3,091,071 TGBACCO CUTTFNG MACES Robert C. Radcliife, RR. 2, Edger-ton, Wis. Filed Dec. 13, 1960, Ser. No. 75,607 1 Claim. (Cl. 56-23) This invention relates to improvements in tobacco cutting machines, and more particularly to a novel tobacco cutting machine of the sickle type.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the type which will cut tobacco without damaging standing plants.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cutting machine having means for laying out windrows of the leaves as they are cut.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view in elevation of a tobacco cutting machine embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side View in elevation of the same.

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a rear view in elevation of the device.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the shoes applied over the sickle guards.

FIG. 7 is a side view thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 refers to the device generally, having a frame 11 supported by the frontal ground bearing Wheel 12, and the rear ground bearing wheels 13 and 14.

The operators seat 15 is located on the floor 16 just behind the steering column 17 which carries the sleeve 18 which in turn journals the axle 19 provided with the steering wheel 20 and the universal joint 21 linked to the shaft 22 and universal joint 23 attached to the steering wheel column 24.

The cross members 25 and 26 support the gasoline engine 27, driving the gear reducer 28. The shaft 29 connects the gear reducer 28 to the gear box 30, provided with the linkage 31 to the gear handle 32. A jaw clutch 33 is actuated by rod 34 pivoted at 35 and the clutch handle at 36.

The shaft 37 carries the sprocket 38 which is linked by the chain 39 with the sprocket 40 on the shaft 41. A pair of sprockets 42 and 43 on the shaft 41 carry the chains 44 and 45 which engage with the sprockets 46 and 47 fixed to and driving the rear axles 48 thus propelling the ground-bearing wheels 13 and 14.

A sprocket 49 on the shaft 41 carries the chain 50 to drive the sprocket 51 on the shaft 52, which latter carries the paddle /wheels 53, 54, 55 and 56. A sprocket 57 adjacent to the jaw clutch 33 carries the chain 58 driving a second sprocket which drives the barrel cam mechanism 59 which actu'ates the link pin 60 in turn operating the sickle bar 61 in a well known manner, for instance as in US. Patent No. 2,630,670.

The paddle wheel shaft '52 is journalled in the sleeves 3,091,071 Patented May 28, 1963 ice 62 and 63- at the rear ends of the paddle wheel arms 64 and 65. The front ends of arms 64 and 65 are formed with sleeves 64a and 65a respectively which are pivoted on the shaft 41 aforesaid. A paddle wheel height control cylinder 66 is based on the bracket 67. A cutting bar height control cylinder 68 depends from the bracket 67 and is connected with the cutting bar arm 69 held in the sleeve 70 on frame 11 with a sliding fit. In FIGS. 5 and 6 a modification of the invention is illustrated in which pairs of shoes 72 serving as tobacco leaf lifters are attached to sickle bar 61.

In use, the operator may by manipulating the transmission gears 30 by means of the lever 3-2 control the forward movement of the device, and by use of the jaw clutch 33 by the lever 36 may operate the sickle bar 61. The two pairs of paddle wheels are provided with inclined paddles 71 to drop the cut tobacco leaves into convenient rows for stacking.

It will be understood that the device is capable of many modifications in structure and design, without departing from the spirit of the invention, within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

A device for cutting and windrowing at least two adjacent rows of grown tobacco plants at the same time, comprising :a frame, a floor for said frame disposed at a height greater than the height of grown tobacco plants, a plurality of ground engaging wheels, means mounting said wheels on said frame in laterally spaced relation so as to straddle at least said two adjacent rows of plants, a source of power carried on top of said frame, means operatively connecting said source of power to at least one of said wheels for propelling said vehicle, a sickle bar having a plurality of cutting elements thereon, means mounting said sickle bar behind the trailing edge of said frame transversely thereof, said sickle bar having a length sufficient to cut simultaneously the plants of at least said two adjacent rows, means operatively connecting said source of power to said sickle bar to actuate said cutting elements, paddle means rotatably mounted above said sickle bar and impinging upon the tops of plants of said rows, said paddle means comprising paddles having plant engaging portions, said plant engaging portion being cooperatively inclined toward each other whereby to windrow cut plants impinged thereby into a single row.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 908,342 Short et al. Dec. 29, 1908 1,750,033 White Mar. 11, 1930 2,630,670 Sherman Mar. 10, 1953 2,669,820 Falkner 'Feb. 23, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 121,265 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1927 

